


Further From My Widowed Home

by Yolatirra



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M, Modern Character in Thedas, Modern Girl in Thedas, Slow Burn, really slow burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-30
Updated: 2018-07-17
Packaged: 2019-04-14 22:10:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 13,892
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14145660
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yolatirra/pseuds/Yolatirra
Summary: She got hit by a truck and ended up in the crumbling crossroads, only to be sent back in time to be the Inquisitor in Lavellan's place. When she wakes up in Haven's dungeons, everything plays out just like the video game, except they don't speak English, except she can understand them anyway. And the Mark is on her right hand instead of her left, which is good cause she's left handed.Somehow, this is okay with her. She's not panicking. Somehow.With only minimal skill with a bow, a little bit of parkour, and almost no skill for lying, she's left only with truth, foreknowledge, and probably too much empathy and thoughtfulness for her own good. She's going to save Thedas. She's going to save Solas.Somehow.





	1. Stumble Before I Start

**Author's Note:**

> SOME THINGS
> 
> \- First, a warning. I suck at finishing long fanfics, since I inevitaly get pulled back to my original writing projects. There's a reason I've only posted short one-shots before this. But this is one I keep coming back to, so I decided to start posting it. And if I don't finish it, hey, at least the same is true for most Modern OC in Thedas fics, so I'll be in good company.
> 
> \- I'm not sure what the update schedule will be, if there will be any regularily at all. I do have drafts of four more chapters after this, but I don't want to post them too close together and run out. 
> 
> \- This will probably have porn in it, though not much, and if it does it's a LONG way off, and chances are I'll never get there anyway. I'll change the rating to Explicit if/when I get to that.
> 
> \- This is essentially a self-insert with a slightly modified version of myself because that's what I felt like writing. Self-insert fics are awesome, damn it.
> 
> \- It's not beta read, so please do point out typos if you see them. I've read through it a few times so there shouldn't be many. 
> 
> \- Yes, this is mostly the obligatory intro waking-up-as-prisoner chapter. And it's 7,000 words long. Sorry. It had to be done. I think there's enough new stuff to keep you interested though. 
> 
> \- The fic and chapter titles are all taken from Matthew and the Atlas songs. I am constantly amazed by how well 90% of their songs work for Solas or Thedas stuff in general.
> 
> And with that.... enjoy?

Hands I didn’t see pushed me out onto the street. A truck slammed into me. Half a moment of horrible pain, then nothing.

Some time later——or maybe, when time began again——a white fog surrounded me. I stood on a rough and broken stone floor, lined with patterns in the less damaged places. I was breathing, so there must have been air, but everything about it was neutral, unnoticeable. 

I turned in a circle, and paused when I spotted someone standing on the edge of the fog, a dozen paces from me. Thick clothes and armor covered most of her body. Her large yellow-green eyes seemed to glow, the only bright color in sight. There was something odd about her appearance, something not quite human. I felt like I knew her.

“Am I dead?” I asked. Getting hit by the truck seemed somehow both immediate and distant. I wasn’t sure which felt more real. Standing there, or getting hit. Neither felt real.

The woman took a few steps toward me, “In your world, perhaps.”

Her voice was familiar too.

I looked her up and down, more confused than suspicious. “What does that mean?”

“They pulled you through to this world in the moment you would have died. The moment of trauma made it possible.” She tilted her head, red-brown hair falling away from one ear and revealing the pointed tip.

Pointed ears. _What the…?_ “And this world is… what? Heaven? Are there elves in Heaven?”

She gave me a funny look. “Whatever your status in your other life, you are alive here. This is what’s left of the Crossroads.”

Her identity clicked, and I stared at her. “Wait… Neora?”

Her brows rose in pleased surprise. “You know me as well, then?”

My Inquisitor. My _video game character._ I nodded absently as my eyes darted toward her left arm. Though the arm was bundled beneath fabric, I could tell it wasn’t all there. For a few moments, the only thing I could think to say was: “Your hair is longer.”

She sort of coughed in what I guessed was surprised laughter, then looked a little shocked at herself. “Years have passed since I was Inquisitor, if that’s your point of comparison.”

“Yeah…” I trailed off, finally processing what she’d said before that. “Wait… you know me?”

She nodded. “I’ve been having dreams about you for a while, since… since Solas brought down the Veil. You’re someone who could help us, who could keep the world from falling apart.” 

Instead of trying to deal with… any of that, I asked, “so this is Thedas? It’s a real place?”

She dipped her head. “They told me all stories are real, somewhere, sometime, for someone.”

“That’s the second time you’ve said ‘they’. Who’s they?”

“The Great Ones. What few remain.”

“The Great Ones? The Great Dragons?”

Before she could respond, I heard a rumble begin in the distance. As the seconds passed it grew louder and louder, like a fast approaching avalanche. 

Neora closed her eyes, unfamiliar creases deepening between her brows. “We’ve run out of time.” She closed the space between us with a few quick steps, her hand grasping my shoulder. “In a few moments you’re going to wake up in the Fade, just after the Conclave exploded. The Great Ones said you will know what to do, and what will happen?”

Caught off guard, trepidation tightening my chest, I managed a jerk of a nod. “I… yes? Wait, you’re sending me to be Inquisitor? Instead of you?”

Her smile was sad. And scared. “A small price for a chance at saving the world.”

“Neora…”

“Take my hand.”

With her right hand still gripping my shoulder, I was confused for a moment, then saw her reaching out the other arm toward me. Though flesh and bone ended at the elbow, there was a green outline of a hand and forearm, and the bright glow of the Anchor where her palm would have been. I reached out and slotted my fingers between her glowing ones, feeling intense power against my skin like static. As my palm pressed against hers, the Anchor flared, eating its way through my skin, muscle, bone, splitting it open. I cried for out in pain, bending forward and trying to pull my hand back, but it was locked to hers. 

Neora’s solid hand gripped my shoulder, firm enough to hurt and hold my attention despite the pain of the Anchor. For all the firmness in her touch, her voice trembled as she spoke. Her eyes shimmered with held back tears. “Take care of my clan. Save Solas. There were things he didn’t realize, things none of us did. Geldauran——”

Whatever she said after was drowned out by the deafening noise. I saw movement out of the corner of my eye and turned to see a dragons’ head emerged from the fog: huge, green, and scaled, with eyes of pearly blinding light. It opened its great jaws, joining its roar with the din. The stone beneath us crumbled. I felt myself pulled, stretched, falling…

And everything went dark.

\- - - - -

Flashes of memory came next, familiar but different, seen now through my own eyes. I woke on dark ground lit by sickly green light. My legs burned as I ran from a swarm of fear demons. I fought to ignore the pain of the Anchor in my right palm and the sting of scrapes from jagged rock on my left as I climbed toward the rift. Justinia pushed me through, and was pulled away. I fell, then gasped for breath as I hit warm stone, the air thick with ash and a burnt smell that would have made me vomit if I hadn’t lost consciousness first.

\- - - - -

The next time I opened my eyes, I lay in a familiar stone dungeon. A little confused, I blinked and closed my eyes for a moment, pulling myself fully to consciousness by flexing and shifting and breathing deep. After a moment of clanking metal and muffled voices, someone left the room at a run. 

I winced as moving made pain shoot up my right side. That whole half of my body felt like a bruise. But what…?

Oh. 

Right. 

Despite my shackled wrists and ankles I managed to sit up. I stared at the ground in front of me. Apparently I’d just sort-of-died on Earth and I was… fine with it? Not horrified, anyway. There was probably something wrong about that. Or maybe that’s just what happens when you die. You get transported to another world that you thought only existed in a video game and everything is fine and makes sense.

Pain shot from my right hand up my arm and I gasped, green light illuminating the room. I bent forward, curling around my right hand until the light and the pain faded. Right hand, huh? If I remembered right, it had been the Inquisitor’s left hand in the game. Well, at least I wouldn’t have to re-learn to write when I lost it in a few years. 

Armored footsteps alerted me just before the door slammed open and two familiar figures walked in. The soldiers stood at attention as Cassandra circled around behind me. Leliana hung back by the door.

Cassandra leaned down to speak near my ear. “Tell me why we shouldn’t kill you now. The Conclave is destroyed. Everyone who attended is dead. Except for you.”

I stayed quiet. The language was not English, and it didn’t really sound familiar, but I understood it. I tried to form sentences in my mind and, somehow, it worked. I could speak a language I’d never heard before.

Cassandra grabbed my shackled right wrist, and I winced as the Mark flickered. “Explain this!”

She threw my arm down. I took a steadying breath and said carefully, “I can’t.” The words felt strange in my mouth, but they came easily.

“What do you mean you can’t?”

“I mean that I can’t. I don’t know how I ended up here, or with this.” I shook my right hand for emphasis. It was true enough. I was a terrible liar, so I had to stick to truth as much as possible. 

But of course, Cassandra didn’t believe me anyway, and shouted, “you’re lying!” She moved to back-hand me, but Leliana stepped in to stop her.

“We need her, Cassandra!”

They had a bit of a stare down, then Leliana turned to me. “So you remember nothing? What about the explosion.”

I shook my head, and took a moment to think. “I remember being in the fade. I was running from spiders, and an older woman in chantry robes helped me escape. She pushed me through the rift.”

Leliana sucked in a breath. “A woman? Divine Justinia?”

“I never saw her in person at the Conclave, but… I think so.”

She grabbed my shoulders, staring at me with a flicker of hope. “Did she escape with you?”

I had to look away as I shook my head. “The rift was closing. There wasn’t time for us both to make it, so she pushed me through.” Leliana’s grip tightened painfully.

Cassandra stepped closer, her armor clinking, echoing off the walls. “Go to the forward camp, Leliana. I will take her to the rift.”

Leliana tore herself away from me and stood. She left with barely a nod.

Cassandra unlocked my shackles and replaced them with rope, then led me out of the room. We passed prison cells, rooms full of books, then the main hall of the chantry, larger than I expected. The people huddled inside watched me as we passed, angry and hateful. I wanted to smile at them, but knew they wouldn’t find it reassuring

Once outside, I squinted up into the bright light of the Breach and felt the first flicker of fear since I’d woken. Meteors tumbled down on the mountain sides, some of them fade rocks, some demons. Everything was tinted eerily green, and I could hear a sound almost like tearing metal mixed with the rumbling of avalanches. It was definitely more terrifying in person than it had been in the game.

“We call it the Breach.” Cassandra said. “It’s a massive rift into the world of demons that grows larger with each passing hour. It’s not the only such rift. Just the largest. All were caused by the explosion at the Conclave.” She paused as she stepped closer to me. “Unless we act, the Breach may grow until it swallows the world.”

On cue, the Breach pulsed and pain shot through my arm again, worse now. I cried out and bent forward around my arm, cradling it. I stayed standing, since I'd been excepting it.

Cassandra only watched me with an unsettlingly neutral expression. “Each time the Breach expands, your mark spreads, and it is killing you. It may be the key to stopping this, but there isn’t much time.”

I breathed through pursed lips until the pain faded, then looked up, firmly meeting her gaze. “If I can help, I will.” Clearly surprised, she opened her mouth as if to question me, then closed it again and just nodded. 

With a hand on my arm, gentler than before, she led me through Haven. It was bigger than in the game, though not by much, and the general layout was the same. I subtly looked myself over as we walked, half-listening to Cassandra explaining how everyone was mourning the Divine and blamed me for her death. As far as I could tell without a mirror, I looked the same, though I was wearing clothing like the Inquisitor had been in the game. That was something, at least. Not that I particularly liked my body—it’d never really suited me—but at least it was familiar.

When we reached the bridge, away from the people of Haven, she pulled out a dagger and cut the ropes around my wrists. “There will be a trial,” she said. “I can promise no more.” 

I nodded, rubbing my sore wrists absently and trying not to look at the bodies and wounded soldiers on the bridge. I could smell the metallic tang of blood in the air.

“Come. It is not far.” She turned toward the far gate, and I followed. “Can you run?”

I was never very athletic, but I wasn’t in terrible shape either, and despite feeling like one giant bruise I had a surprising amount of energy. “Some, I think.”

“Good.” She called ahead for the soldiers to open the gates, and we took off at a run up the trail. We ran for a couple of minutes before the breach pulsed again. My arm bursting with pain, I tumbled forward, then rolled up onto my knees as it faded, panting. 

“The pulses are coming faster now,” Cassandra said, helping up to my feet. I took her hand gratefully. “The larger the Breach grows, the more rifts appear, and the more demons we face.”

I nodded and shook my arm out as we started running again. Cassandra would probably start wondering why I wasn’t asking questions soon, but I didn’t want to ask questions I already knew the answers to. I’d deal with her suspicion when it came. 

As we approached the second bridge I slowed my pace and looked up toward the Breach, watching for the meteor I knew would be falling toward us. Sure enough, as I set foot on the bridge, I spotted it.

“Back!” I shouted at Cassandra, pulling her backwards off of the bridge, then shouted toward the soldiers on the other side while pointing at the sky, “watch out!”

“What are you—” Cassandra began, reaching for her sword. But the screech of the falling meteor cut her off, and as she caught sight of it, she turned her shielded back toward the bridge, protecting us both.

The sound was deafening as rock and soldiers screamed. I curled forward to shield my head, pressing shoulder and hand against my ears. As the rocks settled and we looked up at the damage, Cassandra squinted at me, a stunned. A couple of soldiers had made it to safety. They were getting up from the ground across from us, seeming dazed. She and I saw the demons demons in the gully at the same time, and she drew her sword. “Stay here!” She called over her shoulder as she ran down to fight them.

I considered listening. I wasn’t exactly experience at fighting demons. But after a moment I followed her making my way over the crumbled stones. I spotted a bow on my way down and grabbed it, pausing to search for arrows. There was a partially spilled quiver a dozen feet away, and I headed for it. I’d only taken a couple one-off archery classes in my life, but that was more practice than I’d had with any other weapon. It was enough to know I’d be good at it, once I got some training.

I didn’t bother to pick up the quiver, just plucked an arrow off the ground and knocked it, turning toward the shade that was trying to flank Cassandra. I’d found what felt like a mid-pound bow, which wasn’t exactly easy for me to use, but I made it work. The arrow only grazed the shade’s side, not seeming to do much damage, but got its attention away from Cassandra. I pulled a couple more arrows off the ground and knocked one of them, keeping the other held between my pinky and ring finger. I aimed, then let it fly, this time hitting the shade in the shoulder. I knocked the third, stepping backward up the pile of rubble as it approached.

Cassandra finished off the other and, spotting me, pulled her dagger out and threw it at the shade. It screeched, and dispersed, melting away. I immediately pulled the arrow off the bow and raised my hands, but didn’t drop either as I stepped down toward her. 

She pointed her sword at my chest as I reached the bottom. “Drop the bow.” 

“I realize you don’t trust me and I don’t blame you for that,” I said, “but we’re probably going to be fighting more demons and I need to be able to defend myself, with what little skill I have.”

She looked irritated, but sighed, and lowered her sword. “You’re right. I cannot protect you, and I cannot expect you to be defenseless. I should remember that you agreed to come willingly.”

I hung the bow over my shoulder and went to gather the rest of the arrows and the two arrows I’d shot, both reusable. Cassandra went to retrieve her thrown dagger. As I strapped the quiver around my waist, she approached with two vials of red liquid held out to me.

“Take these potions. Maker knows what we will face.”

I nodded and took them, trying to hide my surprise and vague amusement at potions being an actual thing. I found a suitable pouch on my belt to put them in. 

We made our way up the path, alternating running, walking, and fighting when we came across more demons. I managed to keep my distance from the shades and dodged most of the wraiths’ attacks. The two that hit felt like ice crystals shooting through my chest, spreading weakness through my limbs. Both times, it was most of a minute before I recovered the strength to use my bow again.

Between the second and third fights, Cassandra stepped close to me and said, “you have been oddly quiet.”

And there was that suspicion I’d been expecting. I shrugged. “I have little to say. I already said I don’t know what happened and repeating it will not convince you I’m innocent.”

“I would have thought you would have questions.”

“The Breach needs to be closed. We can ask questions later.”

Her brows creased, and she dipped her head. “Yes. I suppose you are right. But I wish I shared your confidence that we will survive long enough for you to voice them.” 

She didn’t push the issue after that, and I hoped she’d been sufficiently placated. 

I grew nervous as we started up the steps toward the first rift. The first rift meant Solas. I’d have to be extra careful with him. I’d be playing his own tricks on him—careful truths, few outright lies—though unlike him I didn’t have “I saw it in the fade” to fall back on when questioned. I didn’t want to lie or keep secrets from him, or from anyone, but I would have to for a while. I needed them to trust me first, and I needed Solas to see me as something more than a tool in fixing his mistakes before I took the risk of telling him I knew who he was. And if possible, I needed him to care. I carefully reached up toward my ear, feeling it smooth and round. Human. I wasn’t sure yet if that made things easier or harder. Maybe both, in different ways.

The Mark began flickering as we crested the hill. Sharp bolts of pain flashed up my hand toward my elbow. I gritted my teeth and ignored it. 

And there he was. Fen’Harel in his clever disguise. 

I only let myself stare for a moment as I stood on the edge of the path. I knocked an arrow as Cassandra rushed passed me into the fray. 

It took only a minute to bring down the demons. I vaulted off the ledge, very nearly trying to close the rift on my own, but at the last minute realized that would make Solas, and maybe the others, very suspicious. 

He appeared only a moment later at my side and grabbed my wrist. “Quickly, before more come through!” I shivered at the sound of his voice, his fingers brushing the back of my hand, and the feeling of warmth as his magic rushed through my hand, into the Mark and out toward the rift. The Mark and rift pulsed in unison as the familiar green light streamed from my hand. It didn’t hurt, exactly, at least not more than it did already, but it was definitely uncomfortable. The rift closed, and Solas let go, stepping back. 

I grimaced at my hand, flexing it as the pain and discomfort faded into the background. “I’m glad that worked.” I flashed him a smile, trying not to let my gaze linger on him or go slack with wonder.

He looked… regal. As much as he tried to hide it beneath rough clothes and baldness, his features were too fine to be anything else, despite their slight strangeness. Maybe the rest of them couldn’t see it without knowing the truth. 

He returned my smile, though his was practiced, not genuine. “As am I. Whatever magic opened the Breach in the sky also placed that mark upon your hand. I theorized the mark might be able to close the rifts that have opened in the Breach’s wake—and it seems I was correct.”

“Meaning it could close the Breach itself.” Cassandra said.

“Possibly.” He said to her, then turned back to me. “It seems you hold the key to our salvation.”

I gave him a wry half-grin, and said, “I’ll do my best,” as I thought, _you have no idea, Solas._

I heard a gruff laugh behind me and turned to see Varric adjusting his gloves. “Good to know! Here I thought we’d be ass-deep in demons forever.” He stepped closer and I fought the urge to roll my eyes at him. “Varric Tethras: rogue, storyteller, and occasionally unwelcome tagalong.”

“Pleased to meet you.” I said.

Behind me, Solas muttered, “you may reconsider that stance, in time.”

I allowed myself a faint smile at Varric’s response. “Aww, I’m sure we’ll become great friends in the valley, Chuckles.”

“Absolutely not!” Cassandra said. “Your help is appreciated Varric, but—”

“Have you been in the valley lately, Seeker? Your soldiers aren’t in control anymore. You need me.” Varric stared her down, and Cassandra let out a vaguely disgusted sound and walked away. 

“My name is Solas, if there are to be introductions.” I turned toward him as he spoke, watching his practiced smile with something close to fascination. It was so clearly different from his genuine smiles that I had a hard time believing no one else was noticing it. “I am pleased to see you still live.”

“He means, ‘I kept that Mark from killing you while you slept.’” Varric said.

I couldn’t help a brief smirk. “Thank you, Solas.”

“Thank me if we manage to close the Breach without killing you in the process.” He turned to Cassandra then. “You should know: the magic here is unlike any I have ever seen. Your prisoner is no mage. Indeed, I find it difficult to imagine any mage having such power.”

I had to admit I was disappointed at not being a mage. It made things simpler though.

“Understood,” Cassandra said. “We must get to the forward camp quickly.”

She walked off and Solas followed. Varric paused next to me to say, “well, Bianca’s excited.” I smiled at his back as I followed. 

My body ached from the running and fighting, and I tried to stay back to rest during the next fight. I insisted on walking rather than jogging or running as we made our way across the frozen river. 

“Can I ask where you’re from?” Varric asked as we walked. “I don’t recall hearing your particular accent before.”

“A small town you’ve never heard of,” I said. They didn’t need to know that ‘small town’ had been on a different planet.

From his grumbling and muttering to himself, that answer irritated Varric, but he seemed to get the hint that I didn’t want to say more. A few steps later and the Mark flared, and I groaned through gritted teeth as I paused to let it pass. 

“My magic cannot stop the Mark from growing further,” Solas said. “For your sake I suggest we hurry.”

I just nodded, and did my best to walk quickly as we started up the stairs. A few minutes later, Varric asked. “So… are you innocent?”

“I don’t remember what happened.” I said. 

“That’ll get you every time. Should have spun a story.” 

“That’s what you would have done,” said Cassandra. 

“It’s more believable! And less prone to result in premature execution.”

My legs burned as we made our way up the stairs. By the time we sealed the second rift, nausea churned my stomach from exhaustion. My bow’s high pull weight and the cramping in my drawing arm from the pain of the Mark made it incredibly difficult to keep using it. I collapsed to my knees, breathing as if I’d run a marathon.

Cassandra noticed and approached me. “Are you hurt?” She looked me over for injuries.

I shook my head. “I don’t think so. Just tired, and in pain from the Mark.”

Her brow creased in concern, though I couldn’t tell if it was for my wellbeing or just for whether or not I’d be able to make it to the Breach. 

Solas approached then, swinging his staff onto his back. “If I may?”

I nodded weakly. “Sure.”

He placed a hand on my back and warmth spread out from it, filling my chest and radiating out to my fingers and toes. The ache in my arm lessened. The fatigue in my muscles eased. I had to hold back a moan of relief. “That helped. Thank you.”

“It is only a temporary solution. We must get to the Breach.”

I sighed, “I know.”

I heard familiar arguing as we stepped through the gate and I hung back as Cassandra approached them. 

Roderick’s eyes settled on me and his face scrunched up in anger and disgust as he said, “ah, here they come”

Leliana noticed us then. “You made it! Chancelor Roderick, this is…”

“I know who she is. As Grand Chancellor of the Chantry, I hereby order you to take this criminal to Val Royeaux to face execution.”

Cassandra practically snarled. “Order me? You are a glorified clerk. A bureaucrat!”

“This isn’t the time for arguments!” I called from behind them. 

Roderick glared at me. “We’re only in this situation because of you.”

I sat against the wall of the bridge, taking the opportunity to rest while they argued. The Mark flared, and I winced. It didn’t hurt as much as before. Maybe Solas had done something to numb it.

Cassandra turned to me. “How do you think we should proceed?”

I hadn’t been listening, but I knew what to say. “The mountain path. The soldiers you lost contact with may still be alive. We shouldn’t abandon them.”

Cassandra’s brow creased, but she nodded. “Leliana, bring everyone left in the valley. Everyone.”

Roderick stared us down as we walked past him. “On your head be the consequences, Seeker.”

I noticed the subtle tensing of her back. After a moment of consideration, I stepped up beside her. 

“Thank you, Cassandra.”

She looked at me, baffled. “What for?”

“For being civil to me, despite your suspicion.”

She huffed, but her shoulders relaxed. “Do not thank me yet. I may yet decide you are guilty.”

“You seemed pretty sure of my guilt an hour ago.”

She glared at me, though it wasn’t particularly threatening. “I have made assumptions, true, but I have not yet seen enough to convince me they were wrong.”

I inclined my head. “I trust you to find the truth, Seeker, whatever it may be.”

Her eyes widened at that, and she looked away. “I… will do my best.”

I caught Solas watching our conversation, a slight crease between his brows. He stared back at me for a moment before refocusing on the path ahead. 

Thanks to Solas’s spell earlier, I was able to keep up with them on the path up the mountain. It took about half an hour until we reached the ladders. The ladders worried me—they were just thick wooden dowels held together with notches and rope—but if they held Cassandra’s armored weight, they’d hold me. Still, I was definitely relieved when we reached the top without tumbling to our deaths.

I was down to just a few arrows in my quiver, even though I’d been collecting and reusing the ones that didn’t break. I wasn’t much use in the mining tunnels anyway, lacking both night vision and any significant training. I just kept out of the way, for the most part, dodging wraith attacks. I squinted as we emerged back into the eerie glow of the Breach after a good twenty minutes in the tunnels.

Varric sighed. “Guess we found the soldiers.”

I glanced at the bodies, and caught sight of a half-full quiver on one of them. I hesitated, then went over to the body and carefully took the arrows, whispering “thank you.”

Five minutes’ jog down the path, my hand started flickering again. I pulled my bow off my shoulder and knocked an arrow. “Rift coming up.” I said to the others. 

Cassandra’s gaze flicked to my hand, and she nodded. 

We heard the fighting a minute later. One of the soldiers spotted us as we ran toward the rift. “Lady Cassandra!”

“You’re alive!”

“Just barely.”

I stopped thirty feet away, loosing an arrow on a shade that was attacking one of the soldiers. It didn’t kill it, but distracted it enough for the soldier to finish it off. I held the Mark toward the rift, grimacing against the strange sensation as I willed it to close. 

The last of the shades and wraiths vanished as the rift pulsed. A terrible screech alerted us to the arrival of two lesser terrors: ten feet tall, stick-thin, huge toothy mouths. The terrors’ aura of fear gripped at me as I readied another arrow. 

Cassandra ran up to one as it solidified, but it sunk into the ground before her sword connected. A bolt of pain raced up my arm, and I glanced down, seeing the ground flicker below me. On instinct I dive-rolled out of the way, dropping my bow and spilling my quiver of arrows in the process. My shoulder hit an uneven patch of rock, and I gasped in pain as I came up onto my feet. A spell from Solas froze the demon in place, and a bolt from Bianca shattered it a moment later.

“You alright over there?” Varric called.

“Mostly!” I turned back toward the rift just as the second demon vanished, and held the Mark toward it again, closing it. I rolled my shoulder with a wince, trying to feel out the damage. It would be an ugly bruise, but no more. 

“Sealed, as before,” Solas said, walking over as I bent to gather the spilled arrows. “You’re becoming quite proficient at this.”

“Thanks.”

“Let’s hope it works on the big one,” Varric said. 

I heard one of the soldiers talking to Cassandra, so I slipped my bow back over my shoulder and walked over to them. 

“Thank our prisoner, Lieutenent,” Cassandra was saying. “She insisted we come this way.”

“The prisoner? Then you..?”

“Enough people have died already,” I said. “The risk was worth it.”

I couldn’t see much of the Lieutenant’s expression through her helmet, but she gave me a thankful nod. “Then you have my sincere gratitude.”

“The way into the valley behind us is clear for the moment,” Cassandra said. “Go, while you still can.”

As the soldiers ran back the way we’d come, Solas called from the ledge overlooking the last bit of trail, “the path ahead appears to be clear of demons as well.”

Cassandra started toward him. “Let’s hurry, before that changes.”

The path may have been clear of demons, but going down the ladders was scarier than going up them. I hesitated just long enough for Varric to say, “don’t tell me you’re scared of heights.”

I only gave him a glare in response. I wasn’t particularly scared of heights, but being generally tired, in pain, and having a badly bruised shoulder made me more nervous. I was just happy I hadn’t twisted an ankle on the path. I’d always had irritatingly weak ankles. The steep snow— and ice—covered steps heading down to the temple weren’t the best either, and I moved more slowly than the others probably would have liked. I really did not want to twist an ankle.

I started smelling what I realized was burnt flesh, and did my best to ignore it. That wasn't as hard as avoiding looking at the bodies, the ghosts of the last agonizing moments of the lives of innocents, killed by Corypheus’s ambition and Solas’s poor life choices. 

I watched him from the corner of my eye as we walked. His face was blank. I wondered if he felt anything for them yet. He’d known the explosion would happen, an easy sacrifice for him. What were the deaths of a hundred short-lived tranquil to someone who had lived thousands of years? Anger flickered in my chest, but I pushed it down. He did not need my anger. Justified as it may be, it wouldn’t help him, and so it wouldn’t help anyone. Least of all the dead.

We stepped through the crumbling passageway, and I looked up as the rift came into view. I looked through the Breach, into the green light of the fade. 

“The Breach is a long way up,” Varric said.

Leliana ran up behind us, followed by a few dozen soldiers. “You’re here! Thank the Maker.”

Cassandra answered, “Leliana, have your men take up positions around the temple.”

Leliana started giving out orders. 

Cassandra turned to me, and with some effort, I pulled my eyes from the Breach and met her gaze. “This is your chance to end this. Are you ready?”

I just nodded.

“This rift was the first, and is the key,” Solas said. “Seal it, and perhaps we seal the Breach.”

“Then let’s find a way down.”

I turned to start walking around the crater. Corypheus’s voice echoed from the rift; deep, resonant, and terrifying. A chill ran down my spine. Everyone froze for a moment, and I stole a quick glance at Solas, catching a flicker of fear on his face before he molded it into surprise.

“What are we hearing?” Cassandra asked.

“At a guess,” Solas said, voice even, “the person who created the Breach.”

We moved forward, passing the first patch of red lyrium on the way. I sucked in a breath as I got within six feet of it. It was warm like body heat, and somewhere past the beating of my heart I heard voices. I shivered and moved on, unsettled.

“You know this stuff is red lyrium, Seeker?”

“I see it, Varric.”

“But what is it doing here?”

“Magic could have drawn on lyrium beneath the temple, corrupted it…” Solas said.

Varric made a sound of intense discomfort. “It’s evil. Whatever you do don’t touch it.”

“How could magic have corrupted the lyrium, Solas?” I asked. 

He actually looked slightly caught off-guard at the question, but Corypheus’s echoing voice saved him from having to answer.

“Keep the sacrifice still.”

“Someone! Help me!”

Cassandra gasped. “That is Divine Justinia’s voice!”

We hurried down the steps toward the crater, the Mark getting steadily more bright and painful. When I hit the ground at the bottom, it flared, and I looked up.

Again, we heard Justinia calling for help, but as the voice that followed echoed around us, I froze. 

It wasn’t me. 

The energies of the fade formed above us into shapes, figures. I could make out Corypheus, a huge smoky silhouette, and

Justinia, more detailed but muted. Then my Inquisitor ran in, Neora. Young and short-haired. 

“What’s going on here?” She said. 

_No, no, fuck!_ I remembered then that in the Crossroads, Neora had said I’d appear in the fade, after the explosion. Maybe they couldn’t send me back farther than that? But seeing the Inquisitor in these visions was a huge part of what made Cassandra and the others trust the Inquisitor. They were seeing the person I’d replaced, not me, and I had no way to explain to them what had happened without making them more suspicious or just sounding crazy. I didn’t even really know what happened. How had I gotten the Mark, when Neora had been the one to stop Corypheus? It still showed at least that someone else, Corypheus, had been the main instigator of the explosion, but I had no way of convincing them I hadn’t been working with him. Hopefully my usefulness would keep them from sending me off to Val Royeaux to be executed.

The images faded, and I felt all eyes on me. I turned to see Solas’s gaze locked on mine, hard and piercing and incredibly observant. My stomach dropped, and I’m sure he saw fear flicker across my face. So much for not rousing too much curiosity in him.

Cassandra approached me with quick steps, shouting questions. “Who was that? Who attacked the Divine? Was this vision true? What are we seeing?”

“I don’t remember!” I shouted back. 

“Echoes of what happened here. The fade bleeds into this place.” Solas shifted, finally tearing his eyes from me as he slipped fully back into his apostate persona. “This rift is not sealed, but it is closed, albeit temporarily. I believe with the mark, the rift can be opened and then sealed properly and safely. However, opening the rift will likely attract attention from the other side.”

Cassandra turned away from me, but I knew there would be questions later. “That means demons!” She shouted toward the soldiers. “Stand ready!”

We waited thirty seconds for everyone to get into place and prepare their weapons. I closed my eyes for a moment, trying to recover my shattered confidence. I raised my hand, and instead of trying to pull the rift closed, I pushed it open.

A wave of energy passed over us, and moments later there was a roar. I spun around, readying my bow, but the sight of the pride demon actually real in front of me froze me to the spot. The thing was huge, nearly twenty feet tall, and I could feel the electricity coming off it.

The first round of arrows mostly bounced off of it and the demon ignored the soldiers, instead slowly turning its head toward me, all nine black eyes seeming to stare me down. I had the Mark. Of course that would attract its attention. That hadn’t really been true in the game, but this was not the game. I had to remember that.

It took a step toward me, and I took a step back. My job in this battle wasn’t to fight. It was to run and disrupt. I’d be little help with my limited bow skills against the thing anyway.

“Solas, barrier please?” I called.

He glanced at me and made a gesture. The static I could feel from the demon lessened, and the air around me flickered. Cassandra and the other close-range fighters ran to intercept and I kept walking back as I held up my hand to disrupt the rift. My arm ached terribly again, pain increasing every time I used the Mark. I only had to endure it a little longer. Once this was done, it would hurt a lot less.

The rift pulsed, and the demon dropped to its knees. I turned and ran toward the opposite wall so the smaller demons wouldn’t sneak up on me. I readied my bow in case I had a good opportunity to attack them when they appeared. 

The demon straightened again. Electricity built up around it, bolts jumping between its spikes. It raised an arm, two long whips of lightning forming in the air and slamming down in a line forty feet in front of it. Most of the soldiers dodged out of the way, but it had cleared a path. It laughed, and looked at me, approaching with a sharp-toothed grin.

I lifted my hand back toward the rift. It seemed to take minutes to disrupt as the demon stalked toward me, but finally it stumbled and again I ran to the furthest wall. That put me close to Leliana, and I noticed her nearly empty quiver. She’d probably used most of them on the way here.

“Leliana, can you use these?” I called, pulling my arrows out. “You’re a much better shot than me.”

She glanced from the arrows to me, then took them without a word.

A familiar voice cried out in pain not too far away, and I saw Varric collapse to one knee, clutching his side. A shade stood over him, claws raised to strike again. Then the shade froze and shattered, and Varric struggled to his feet and pulled away from the fight, digging in his pouch, probably for a potion. 

The demon started stalking toward me again, and again I disrupted the rift.

This time when it staggered, the outline of its form shifted, almost like smoke. I fell to the ground, gasping as pain from the Mark made my vision swim out of focus, flickering black. I gripped my hand, eyes closed against the pain.

Distantly, I heard a voice. Then the crackle of electricity and a loud resonating sizzle. I looked up to see the pride demon only a few dozen feet from me, lightning whips fading away above me. Cassandra was at its heels trying to slow it down. I felt a hand pull me up, and Leliana’s voice saying, “run!”

I got up and stumbled into motion, first away from it, then toward the rift. The demon roared behind me, and the ground shook as it collapsed. 

“Now!, Seal the rift!” Cassandra called. 

I raised my hand again, and as I pulled together the frayed edges of the veil, knitting them back together, I screamed at the overwhelming agony. Then I felt the Mark release, and the rough crumbled stone rushed up to meet me.


	2. Somewhere That I Recognized

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooooo.... I didn't mean to take three and a half months to get back to this, but it turns out posting the first chapter of this just before selling all my stuff and a house and starting to travel full-time was... badly planned. But I'm back! At lease for the moment? I will definitely be continuing this, it could just take me two days or three months for the next chapter. Sorry?
> 
> So, uh... enjoy!
> 
> Feel free to point out typos if you see them.

I woke slowly, fighting my way to consciousness. I didn’t have the strength to lift my limbs the first few times I tried, but I managed to open my eyes. I had to blink a few times to focus.

Nothing made sense at first. I struggled to remember what had happened, but only had the sense it was something significant. Laying on my side, I squinted at the walls, the desk, the snow-dusted planks of another cabin that I could see out the window. My right palm itched, and I lifted it enough to look at it.

Oh. Right. That’s what happened.

The Mark was much calmer now, just a thick jagged line of dim green light across my palm. Rolling over onto my back, I stared at the ceiling and tried to think, but my thoughts felt like thick honey. I barely had the energy to be awake.

I turned to the small table next to the bed and noticed a glass of water and a folded note. I reached for the paper with clumsy fingers, nearly dropping it twice before I had it close enough to read. I blinked at it a few times, willing the unfamiliar words and script to make sense.

_If you wake alone and are able to stand, please alert the guards outside the door. They will bring you a meal and restorative potions, and Leliana or I will speak with you as soon as we can.  
\- Cassandra Pentaghast_

I dropped the paper on my chest and went back to staring at the ceiling. Things were already happening differently than the game. The path to the Breach had been basically the same, but me not being the same person who confronted Corypheus in the fade visions had definitely changed things. It seemed they didn’t quite trust me, but I wasn’t a prisoner anymore. At least, not enough of one to be in a cage. I could work with that. Hopefully. At least the note made me realize why I felt so weak: I was fucking starving.

They’d dressed me in a simple shirt and trousers, but had laid out clothes that were a bit nicer and more suited to the cold weather. Trembling on weak legs and shivering in the freezing winter air, I managed to change, then felt faint and had to lie down again. After a few minutes I managed to get to my feet again and go to the door.

As I opened it, I grimaced against the rush of frigid air. I hadn’t realized how much the fire in the cabin had been warming it up. A guard, standing next to the door, turned to face me.

“Seeker Cassandra left a note asking me to let you know when I woke,” I said. My voice sounded weak too. I looked past them, and stilled. I rubbed at my eyes, blinking. I could see perfectly clearly a hundred feet away. That hadn’t been true since I was about ten. Huh. I thought back to just after I’d woken in the chantry dungeon and realized I hadn’t needed them then either. I just hadn’t noticed before with… everything that had happened. Weird.

The guard who’d turned to look at me nodded at the other one, who jogged off, probably toward the Chantry.

“Yes,” the guard said, turning back to me. “The Seeker asked that you remain here until either she or Sister Leliana has spoken with you.”

“That’s fine. I’m not feeling up to going very far anyway right now.” He nodded, and I shut the door and collapsed back onto the bed, eagerly snuggling back under the still-warm covers.

The other guard returned surprisingly quickly with a bowl of soup, a chunk of bread with butter, a small carafe of what definitely smelled like wine, and two small vials of what I assumed was elfroot potion.

I thanked them, and they left me alone with my first meal in probably about a week. The first bite of buttered bread tasted like the best bread I’d ever had. I was sure it wasn’t, but serious hunger will do that. I forced myself to eat slowly, so I didn’t give myself a stomach ache. I could have eaten a lot more than they’d given me, but I understood the importance of not overeating when starved.

I downed both the potions once I was done eating. They spread energy and warmth through me, chasing away the aches throughout my body. I paused to stare at the vials for a moment, vaguely surprised they actually worked. I ignored the wine. I didn’t drink, and didn’t plan to start just because I was in Thedas where it was expected. I drank the water that’d been left on the side table though, and really wished they’d given me more.

Just as I was debating whether or not to gather snow from outside and melt it by the fire, there was a knock on the door, and a call from one of the guards. “Sister Leliana is here to see you, miss.”

My heart fluttered nervously as Leliana stepped inside, not waiting for my permission. She closed the door behind her, moving with an intimidating degree of fluidity. She could kill me easily if she wanted, but if I was lucky, her bard training would win me her trust rather than a knife at my throat.

“How are you feeling?” She asked, voice and expression pleasant but observant eyes trained on me.

“Better after a meal. Thank you.”

Leliana pulled the two chairs in the cabin toward the fireplace, then spent a moment encouraging the dying embers back into a healthy flame. She took a seat and nodded toward the other chair. “Sit.”

I did, and asked, “how long have I been asleep?”

“Three nights. You managed to stabilize the Breach, which stopped your Mark from growing, but it nearly killed you.” She paused, and I waited, knowing the questions were coming. I stared into the fire, thinking of what to say. When she continued it was with a slight chill in her voice. “Though you and I spoke little before, I believe you withheld information when we did. Cassandra told me you asked very few questions in the time she spent with you. She found it strange, and I agree. After the visions we saw at the Breach, neither Seeker Cassandra or I believe you responsible, at least not directly or intentionally, but I must know what you are not telling us.”

If I could have waited to have this conversation, I would have. My brain was still foggy, but the food and the potions had definitely helped. I took a long breath. “How confident are you in your ability to determine if someone is lying?”

A pause. “Why do you ask?”

“I ask,” I said, words coming slowly as I chose them with care, “because I want to tell you the truth, but it will seem unbelievable. I’m hoping you will keep an open mind to what I have to say if your experience tells you that I’m being truthful.”

“My ‘experience’?”

“As a bard, and as Left Hand and Spymaster for Divine Justinia.”

If she was surprised I knew exactly who she was, she hid it well. With her watchful eyes focused intently on me, she said only, “speak.”

So I did. “I am… not from Thedas. I’m from another world, or another place at least. I’m not really sure. I was sent here by the elf you saw in the visions at the Breach. Her name is Neovirane, of Clan Lavellan, a Dalish clan that roams the Free Marches. They should be somewhere near Wycome right now, or will be soon. Neora would have been the one to have the Mark, but she failed and, somehow, passed it to me, hoping I would succeed where she did not. I have no idea how she did it.”

I risked a glance at Leliana. Her expression was hard, emotionless. She nodded at me to continue.

I swallowed past the lump in my throat, mouth dry. “Where I’m from, we have stories of Thedas. I know a lot of what’s happened in the last ten years, since the fifth blight started, and of what’s going to happen in the next two.” I sighed. “And yes, I know what happened at the Conclave, but only because of these stories. I wasn’t there, and had nothing to do with the explosion.”

That got a hint of a reaction from her. Her brow creased, and her hand twitched. Maybe ready to go for a dagger? I tried not to think about how easily she could kill me.

“So?” She asked. “What happened?”

“The shadowy figure you saw in the visions who attacked Divine Justinia was a man who calls himself Corypheus. Varric will know the name. He and Hawke, the Champion of Kirkwall, fought and seemingly killed Corypheus several years ago, but they had no way of knowing he doesn’t die that easily. He was once known as the Conductor of Silence, Priest of the Old God Dumat, and leader of the seven Magisters who entered the Golden City.”

Leliana stopped me with a raised hand, eyes searching mine. Then she turned to the fire, brows deeply creased. “You are right. What you are saying is nonsense.”

And yet, she wasn’t laughing. Was that a good sign?

I gave her several moments to process what I’d said. She didn’t seem to think I was making it up, but whether she thought I wasn’t just insane was another matter. “I can tell you some of the things I know, things that I shouldn’t have any way of knowing. Would that help you believe me?”

She turned her head just enough to look at me. “That depends on what you know.” There was a threat in those words. Wonderful.

Shifting nervously, i said, “you and Cassandra are intending to declare a new Inquisition, probably today. You have brought in two other people to assist in leading it: Josephine Montiliyet and Cullen Rutherford. You and Josephine have been friends for many years. She was once a Bard, but stopped being one after unknowingly killing a friend of hers. Cullen was a templar but left the Order after the mage rebellion in Kirkwall. He has recently decided to stop taking lyrium. Cassandra’s brother Anthony was a dragon hunter who was killed when she was twelve by a group of apostate mages. You met Divine Justinia when she was still Reverend Mother Dorothea. She helped you and a man named Sketch escape from prison after you were betrayed by your mentor Marjolaine, but your other companion, Tug, was killed before you could escape. He had an axe with an engraving that read, ‘the stone lives beneath Orlais’.”

“Enough!” She stood lightning-fast and stared down at me, emotion breaking through her practiced mask. Then she closed her eyes and turned away, breathing through pursed lips. Firelight flashed off the surface of a dagger in her hand. I hadn’t seen her draw it. “Either you are a better spymaster than I, or at least some of what you say is true. But none of this gives me any reason to trust you.”

I thought for a moment before speaking. “I don’t think there’s anything I can say that would convince you I’m here to help, but I promise you I am. I just ask that you give me a chance to earn your trust.”

After a few moments of quiet, she turned to look at me again, this time with a more considering look. “If you truly have the foreknowledge you claim, and do not intend to betray us, it could be of great use.”

I held back my sigh of relief. I knew I wasn’t in the clear yet, but she seemed willing to work with me. “To an extent, yes. If we use my knowledge to drastically change events I may quickly stop being able to predict them. I can’t see the future, I am only familiar with one version of potential events.”

“So if we make no significant changes, events will play out as you expect?”

“For the most part, yes, though I can’t know for sure. The main events should stay the same, but some smaller things are already different.”

“Such as?”

“Neovirane would have gone straight to the Chantry right after waking up. She and Cassandra would have argued with Chancellor Roderick and then Cassandra would have declared the Inquisiton and asked Neora to join in leading it. You were both convinced of her innocence by what you saw at the Breach, but you’re understandably more suspicious of me.”

She considered that for a moment, then sheathed her dagger. I couldn’t see where it went. “You never told us your name.”

“To be fair, you never asked.” I said, risking a touch of humor. The corner of her mouth twitched. I thought for a moment, before answering, “I’m Aren.”

She eyed me sidelong. “That isn’t your real name, is it?”

“Not in the place I come from, but it’s the one I want to go by here.”

“And you’re not trying to hide something by not telling me your real name?”

“I’m not, I promise. I just don’t want to use my real one.”

Her gaze lingered on me a moment longer, then she nodded and turned to leave. “I will confirm what you said about Corypheus with Varric, and I will share what you’ve told me with Cassandra. I expect we’ll call on you in a couple of hours.”

“Understood. Thank you for… being open to listening, Leliana, despite everything that’s happened.”

She dipped her head, then paused. “You said when we first questioned you that the Divine did not escape the fade. Was that true?”

“Yes.”

“Is she… is there any chance she still lives?”

I looked down at the floor between my knees, thinking of how best to answer. “I don’t know exactly what happened to her, but is she alive in the way you mean? No. I’m sorry. But in several months we will be helped by a spirit who looks like her and has at least some of her memories. Whether it is just a spirit who wished to honor Justinia and took on her form, or is some remnant part of her, or perhaps both, was never clear to me.”

Leliana turned away. “I see. Thank you.”

She left the cabin, and I crawled back into bed. Despite my exhaustion, it took a little while for me to fall asleep.

\- - - - -

Firm knocking and an unfamiliar voice woke me. “Lady Aren!”

I groaned. “What is it?”

“Lady Cassandra has summoned you to the Chantry, my Lady.”

Well, I had achieved “my Lady” status. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. “Alright, thank you.”

I allowed myself another couple moments of quiet. I probably would have fallen back asleep if not for the sudden and intense need to relieve myself. I’d used squat toilets before, so using the chamber pot wasn’t as weird as it could have been. I wondered what they did with all the human waste in such a cold climate. They couldn’t bury it with the ground frozen.

When I stepped outside I nearly turned right back around and crawled back into bed. Despite the thick winter clothes and the boots provided for me, I was freezing. It was probably partly that I was still very low on energy, and my whole system was messed up from sleeping for most of the last week, but it was also just really fucking cold.

There were no guards standing outside the door now. Instead, they were busy keeping the crowd from getting too close. Lovely. I thought maybe I’d bypassed being gawked at, but it was probably for the best that I hadn’t. What would happen if the people of southern Thedas didn’t see me as the Herald of Andraste? It would have changed things in very unpredictable ways.

I hurried through the crowd, trying to show confidence and not seem rude. Most of them didn’t talk to me directly, and I tried to ignore the whispers.

A couple of guards pushed open the heavy chantry doors as I approached, and I sighed in relief at the rush of warm air. They probably kept the place well heated as a refuge against the cold for those without cabins.

“The Seeker and Lady Nightingale are through the center door at the end, Ma’am.” One of the guards said as I passed her.

I flashed her a thankful smile, even though I already knew exactly where I was going. Once the doors shut behind me I heard raised voices and paused to listen. It sounded like the same argument between Cassandra and Roderick from the game. Also a good sign.

I didn’t bother waiting for them to finish before I knocked. “Aren here. You called for me?”

The argument instantly went quiet, then Cassandra’s irritated voice called back. “Yes. Come in.”  
Roderick was already staring in my direction as I entered, and he wasted no time in pointing an accusing finger at me. “Chain her! I want her prepared for travel to the capital for trial.”

Cassandra, just as quickly, addressed the guards. “Disregard that, and leave us.”

As the guards left I spotted Leliana at the back of the room, half in shadow. I caught her eye, glancing from her, to Cassandra, and back, raising an eyebrow. She responded with a short nod, and I leaned against the wall by the door as the argument resumed.

“You walk a dangerous line, Seeker.”

Cassandra only spared me a glance before turning her fury back to Roderick. “The Breach is stable, but it is still a threat. I will not ignore it.”

Roderick pointed at me again. “And yet you let this criminal walk free?”

“What we saw at the Breach proved she is not directly responsible for causing it. Whether she had any smaller part in it or not, she holds the only tool we have for closing it.”

“That might be what she intended. To make herself valuable so you would let her walk free.”

“You are assuming her guilt. I will not. Whatever you think, Chancellor, she is exactly what we needed, when we needed it. We will not send her away in chains.”

“That is not for you to decide!”

Cassandra stalked to the back of the room and pulled a silky cloth off a small table, revealing the Inquisition book. She returned with it to the central table and slammed it down. “You know what this is, Chancellor? A writ from the Divine, granting us the authority to act. As of this moment, I declare the Inquisition reborn.” She rounded on Roderick, backing him up toward the door. “We will close the Breach, we will find those responsible, and we will restore order with or without your approval.”

Without another word, but with one final look of fury at me, Roderick fled.

Leliana stepped up to the table, glancing at the book, then at Cassandra, then me. “Did that go as you expected?”

I shrugged. “The essential points, yes. My situation is a little different than Neora’s was and I stayed out of the argument, so some particulars were different.”

Cassandra’s skeptical gaze settled on me. “Leliana has told me you claim to be from another world, with foreknowledge of the events to come. You claim the Mark was gifted to you by the elf we saw in the visions in the temple.”

I grimaced, flexing my right hand. “I wouldn’t say ‘gifted’, but yes, to the rest of that.” The Anchor didn’t hurt anymore, but it felt strange, like something didn’t quite fit. Which, knowing that it was intended only for Solas, was exactly the issue.

“You claim you were sent here because she failed,” Leliana said. “Does that mean the Inquisition failed to close the Breach?”

“No.” This was tricky ground, because it would bring up more questions than I wanted to answer, but since I was determined to be truthful I wasn’t sure how much of that I could avoid. “The Inquisition succeeds, but don’t rely on that being true just because I say it. It took time and hard work, and the same will be required now.”

“Then what did she fail to do?” Cassandra asked.

I hesitated. “I don’t know for sure, and it’s not relevant now.”

Leliana raised a brow. “No?”

“It’s… years away. Closing the Breach and stopping Corypheus is the priority for now.”

“Then why send you here, now?”

“The Breach is probably the only thing that made it possible to send me here at all.” I hoped they’d accept that explanation for now. It wasn’t a lie, since I was sure the Breach really was part of it. But the biggest reason was that I needed to befriend Solas, and that had to be done now.

Leliana seemed unconvinced, but she let the topic drop.

Cassandra sighed. “We have little choice but to keep you with us, regardless. We cannot seal the Breach without your Mark. For now, we ask that you not leave Haven’s walls without permission from one of us. You are free to wander within, though you will be watched.”

“That’s reasonable.” I had no need to leave the walls anyway, though the fact that I couldn’t would make me restless. At least they didn’t decide to keep me in a cage and just pull me out when needed. Carefully, I asked, “have you sent Charter to the Hinterlands yet?”

Leliana’s eyes widened before she cleared away her surprise. “Soon after the explosion, when we realized the rifts were not contained to this area, yes.”

“Did you send any soldiers with her? And has she recruited Lace Harding?”

“We couldn’t spare the soldiers. And no, not that I’ve heard. Why the questions?”

I shrugged. “Just trying to get an idea of the timeframe. The stories of Thedas in my world were never good at explaining how long things took, or how much time passed between events. How long does it take to get to the Hinterlands from here?”

Cassandra shifted. “Four to six days.”

About what I thought, then. If Thedas was a planet it had to be tiny. Like, half the size of pluto, tiny. How was the gravity at all similar to Earth? How did it have an atmosphere? Of course, this was probably an entirely different universe with different laws of physics. And that… wasn’t really something I wanted to think about just yet.

“Is there anything you want to tell us now about events to come?” Leliana asked.

I thought about it for a minute. “Just focus on getting the Inquisition established for now, and get soldiers to the Hinterlands as soon as you can. They need to protect the refugees from the mage-templar fighting in the area, as well as the rifts. You’ll learn this soon yourself, but there’s a cleric named Mother Giselle helping the wounded in the Crossroads. She will ask to meet me. Once you’re ready to have me talk to Cullen and Josephine I’ll explain some of what will happen in the next couple of months, so I don’t have to do it twice.”

“You want us to tell them what you told Leliana?” Cassandra asked.

“We can’t make informed decisions about what to do with my foreknowledge without their experience.” I paused. “By the way, Leliana, how did Varric respond to you asking about Corypheus?”

“He demanded to know how I’d heard the name, but confirmed your story. I didn’t tell him it came from you.”

“Are you planning to?”

“No. Are you?”

“Not any time soon.”

She seemed satisfied with that. Cassandra hunched over the table, exhaustion evident in her posture. “We have much to do, then. We may ask you to stand with us tomorrow when we make the official announcement of the Inquisition but otherwise it will likely be a few days before we call on you. Take the time to rest. You likely won’t get another chance for a long time.”  
“I know. Thank you.” I turned to leave, then stopped. “I know you don’t trust me yet, but could I get some archery lessons? I’ll need to know how to defend myself eventually.”

“I’ll see what we can do.” Cassandra said.

“Thanks.” I stood awkwardly for a moment, then with a sigh, walked up to the table and put my hand out. “I look forward to working with you, Seeker, Leliana.”

Seeming a bit caught off guard, Cassandra blinked at me for a moment, then shook my hand. “And I you, Aren.” Despite her uncertainty, she seemed to mean it. Leliana just inclined her head to me, but there was something just a little softer around her eyes.

\- - - - -

The sun had set behind the towering Frostback peaks by the time I left the Chantry, but there was still plenty of light to see by. It had only gotten colder though, and I thought longingly of my bed, but my stomach pulled me toward the tavern. The few people at the tables quieted as I entered, then resumed their conversations a moment later in hushed tones, failing to pretend they weren’t staring at me. I stepped up to the counter, waving to get Flissa’s attention.

She paused and blinked. Someone must have given her my description, cause she seemed to recognize me, but didn’t say anything besides, “what can I do for you?”

I hesitated, then said. “I’m sorry, I’m not sure how stuff is run here yet, but I could use a meal and I don’t have money…”

“Ah, no worries. You’re under the Seeker’s care, food is on the house. We’ve got potato and rabbit stew and bread with butter. Sorry it’s not much. Supplies are sparse at the moment.”

“That’s fine. Thank you.

“No problem at all. Ale or wine with your meal?”

“Just water. Thank you.”

“Alright, have a seat, I’ll bring it out to you in a moment.” She turned away and I looked around for an empty table and started toward one in a corner a bit away from other people.

“Nice to see you up and about.”

Varric had just stepped through the door. He followed me to the table and I smiled at him. “It’s nice to be up and about. If I’d spent any more time sleeping I might have starved to death.”

He chuckled. “Mind if I join you? I was just about to have a bite myself.”

Part of me wanted the time to myself, but my excitement at actually getting to talk to these people won out. Plus, I didn’t want to refuse him. “Sure.”

He went over to Flissa to order, then returned and sat across from me, his gaze considering. “So, are you holding up alright? I mean, you go from being the most wanted criminal in Thedas to joining the armies of the faithful. Most people would have spread that out a bit more.”

Though I couldn’t help but smile at the familiar question, it made me aware again of just how easily I was taking everything. I had yet to feel any more than vague discomfort over the idea that I’d died and gone to Thedas. When I thought of my parents or friends, I still remembered them, still loved them, but any emotions like worry for them or longing to see them just weren’t there. “Better than I probably should be. I’m just glad I’m not a prisoner anymore. Well, mostly not a prisoner.”

“Heh, that makes two of us.” He leaned back in his chair, looking out one of the windows. “For days now, we’ve been staring at the Breach, watching demons and Maker-knows-what fall out of it. ‘Bad for morale’ would be an understatement.” He looked back to me. “I still can’t believe anyone was in there and lived.”

I thought of Neora, young and strong and full of life, ready to be the leader of her clan someday. She’d died for the chance that I could do better than her. I would have liked to know her. “I know. I just… wish I could have saved at least someone else.”

“Thoughts like that will get you every time. You might want to consider running at the first opportunity. I’ve written enough tragedies to recognize where this is going. Heroes are everywhere. I’ve seen that. But the hole in the sky? That’s beyond heroes. We’re going to need a miracle.”

I smiled a little to myself. “Not every story ends in tragedy. We’ve already got good people here, and we’ll find more. We’ll manage.”

He huffed. “Of course you’d be an optimist.”

“I try to be realistically positive more than optimistic. But yes, I’d rather expect the best of the world and the people in it than live as though we’re all doomed to misery. ”

Flissa brought out our food, hefty clay bowls full of hot soup and a generous chunk of fresh bread slathered with butter on the side. I was definitely still starving. It smelled way better than it probably should have.

Varric thanked her, and for a while we just ate in comfortable silence. Once the worst of my hunger had faded, I asked, “So, when you’re not being dragged across Thedas by Cassandra, what do you do?” I already knew the answer, of course, but I had to ask in case I ever needed to use his spy network. Otherwise he’d wonder how I knew about it.

“Hah. Well, I’m a buisnessman, primarily. My family has a seat in the Dwarven Merchants Guild. In my spare time, I manage a spy network, and occasionally, I write books.”

“A lot of tragedies, I assume?”

“Mostly, though I don’t always intend them that way. It just seems to happen. Probably says something unfortunate about me personally.”

“Is The Tale of the Champion one of yours?”

He grimaced “Yep, that’s mine. That one really did just happen that way. Couldn’t have made it more tragic if I tried.”

I hummed. “Revolution is often painful, but it needs to happen.”

“Have you read it?” I nodded, and he sighed. “Don’t tell me. You approve of what Blondie did.”

I nibbled at my bread while I took a few moments to think through my answer. “I don’t think what he did is so easily classified as right or wrong. It was a horrible thing, and I don’t think killing anyone is ever a good thing, but doing nothing wouldn’t have been right either. Something had to change. Maybe something else would have had the same or even a better effect without so many deaths, but maybe not. Either way, I understand why he did it, and I don’t think he’s a bad person for it.”  
He stared at me for a few moments.

“What?” I asked.

“You always think that much?”

“I try to.”

He huffed and went back to his soup. “Sounds exhausting.”

“I won’t argue that.”

We finished our meals in silence and Varric stayed to drink. I excused myself, exhaustion quickly overtaking me without hunger to keep me awake. I returned to my cabin in the last of the evening light, rebuilt the fire from lingering coals, and quickly fell asleep.

\- - - - -

I slept about twelve hours, as far as I could tell without a clock. I’d gone to sleep early, and because of the time of year the sun hadn’t quite risen above the mountains when I woke. Being more rested, however, made me realize my need for a bath. I knew an actual bath was too much to hope for in Haven, but after a quick search around the cabin I found a washbasin, sponge, and a small bar of soap. I made a quick trip outside to gather snow in the washbasin, and on the way back in caught sight of a note pinned to my door. It was strange to physically see the Inquisition symbol for the first time. The text just read:

_Announcement at midday in front of the chantry. All are asked to attend._

I carried the snow back inside and set it in front of the fire to melt. As I waited I just sat and stared down at my hands, first my left, still whole and unmarked, then my right, ripped open and glowing green. I rubbed my left thumb over the Anchor. It felt almost like the electricity from a power outlet, but not as sharp or sudden.

“Why?” I whispered into the cold air. I didn’t know what exactly I was asking. Why me? Why here? Why now? Just… why? I didn’t ask how, though some part of me knew that should have been second, or even first on my list of questions for the universe. How just didn’t feel important to me. I knew this was real. Why I knew that, though, was a question I cared about. Why was this real. Why was I okay with it all?

Being okay with it didn’t stop me from feeling lonely. I thought of Solas, Dorian, and Cole most of all. I couldn’t wait to meet Cole, even though I knew keeping secrets would be harder with him around. I just wanted someone who I not only didn’t have to keep secrets from, but couldn’t. The thought of that was comforting.

I washed as best I could, not used to having to do it just with a water basin and a sponge. I had to wear the same clothes again, but I’d only worn them for half a day so far, and the cold weather meant I wasn’t sweating much.

I got a simple breakfast at the tavern: bread, butter, and a disturbingly purple pickled egg that was actually delicious. By the time I finished and headed toward the chantry I had to pick my way through the gathering crowd, keeping my head down so as few people as possible recognized me. Luckily a guard did recognize me and directed me inside.

The announcement was quick and simple. Cassandra gave a short speech and showed the crowd the book from the Divine, and we just kind of stood there acting important. Cullen and Josephine were there, but with how quickly the whole thing went, we weren’t introduced. Going by their only faintly curious glances I assumed Leliana hadn’t told them much yet.

Rather than leave with the crowd when it was over I retreated into the chantry. The others disappeared quickly to wherever their responsibilities took them. I found the library in the basement and managed to convince the guard in charge of it to let me borrow a few books: the Chant, a book of Ferelden stories and myths, and a book about herbs.

The crowd was mostly gone by the time I left, but I still kept my head down, hoping I wouldn’t be noticed on the way back to my cabin. Unfortunately, that meant I didn’t see Solas until after he’d spotted me. His voice stopped me in my tracks as I was passing Haven’s gates.

“The Herald of Andraste. A blessed hero to save us all.”

I barely managed not to drop the books I was carrying, and fell back on game dialogue to give myself a chance to recover.

“Am I riding in on a shining steed?”

He smirked. “I would have suggested a griffon, but sadly they’re extinct. Joke as you will, posturing is necessary.”

I gave him a neutral smile that I hoped disguised my nervousness. “Sometimes, maybe,” I said. I wanted to argue his point, but this wasn’t the time. “Where were you headed?”

“Many rifts remain in this area. In the interest of furthering my research I volunteered to accompany the soldiers sent to keep them safe.”

I frowned. It hadn’t occurred to me that there would be rifts in the area. You never saw any around Haven in the game aside from the first journey to the Breach. “I guess I should seal those as soon as I can. Once Cassandra and Leliana start letting me out.” I smirked. “Guess they trust me even less than they trust you.”

It was pretty ironic that they trusted Fen’Harel more than me, someone who wasn’t a mage and was useless at fighting. Plus, Solas knew I had nothing to do with the explosion. He let out one of his low breathy chuckles and I shivered at the sound. The air suddenly seemed a little less frigid. I could listen to that sound all day.

God, I wished I could just tell him.

Tears pricked behind my eyes. I sighed and blinked them away. “Anyway, I’ve pretty much been ordered to rest and stay out of the way. I’ll see you around, Solas.”

“Has the Mark pained you since you woke?”

I smiled, and hoped it didn’t look forced. I wondered if he actually cared, or if he was just worried I’d up and die on him, taking the Anchor with me. At this point, probably just the latter. “Not since I woke yesterday, no. It just feels strange.”

He dipped his head. “Please, let me know if that changes.”

“I will. Thank you, Solas. Really.”

“It is the least I can do.”

Well, that was certainly true. Did he actually feel guilty yet? Maybe in the way you feel guilty when you step on an anthill?

I managed to walk the rest of the way back to my cabin naturally enough, but once inside I collapsed on the edge of the bed, resting my face in my hands. Maybe if I did just tell him now, I’d be safe? The Breach couldn’t be closed without the Anchor after all, and killing me would get rid of it. But Solas didn’t exactly have a history of thinking his actions through. And he’d killed Felassan so easily, despite him being one of his most capable agents… and probably a friend.

No, I couldn’t risk it. Just before Skyhold would be the soonest it might be safe, or just plain necessary. I wanted to try to save Wisdom if I could, and I was hoping I’d be able to start the evacuation to Skyhold before the actual attack, but I wasn’t sure I could get away with it without making Solas extremely suspicious of what else I might know. In the mean time I’d have to… convince him to respect my secrets, I supposed. I wasn’t sure that was possible, considering he didn’t respect anyone in Thedas yes who wasn’t an ancient elf or a spirit.

It was my only option though. I was a terrible liar, and he was very observant. He’d notice quickly that I wasn’t being entirely honest with him, if he hadn’t noticed already. Chances were, he had.

I looked at my right hand and traced a finger along the faint greenish light. For the first time since I woke in Thedas, I felt scared and alone.

\- - - - -

I spent the rest of the day reading in the safety and privacy of my cabin, leaving only to get dinner at the tavern. I went to sleep with the sunset, since I wasn’t used to reading my candlelight. The flickering light hurt after a while. Oddly, the Anchor glowed enough that I could almost use it as a flashlight, but that was just a little too weird.

There’d been a year in my teens when I was very interested in lucid dreaming. I’d actually managed it a few times, though the effort required had eventually made me lose interest. So when I had the nagging feeling that something was just a little off, it took me only a few moments to realize why.

Suddenly aware of the dream, I looked around me. I sat on a smoothed log in a forest clearing bordered by wagons draped with orange-yellow fabric. They formed a barrier between the trees and the Dalish camp.  
Four elves sat with me around a fire. Somehow, I knew them.

A middle-aged man with medium brown skin and gold Andruil Vallaslin looked at me, worried. _Father_. “Please, promise you will be careful, ara eshalin.”

I felt myself inclined to speak, so I did. “I promise, Baba.” I felt my mouth move with the words, but the voice was wrong. I looked down at my hands, seeing them oddly thin, skin a few shades darker than mine.

Another of the elves spoke, this time an older woman with graying black hair and white Mythal Vallaslin. _Deshanna. The Keeper_. “Then I wish you pleasant dreams, Da’len. May the Dread Wolf never catch your scent.”

This wasn’t my dream, I realized. It was Neora’s. Why was I having my dead Inquisitor’s dream?

Rather than respond again, I stood and walked away from the fire. A shadow out of place stopped me cold. Dimly glowing within the darkness were two red eyes. It vanished so quickly that I almost didn’t believe I’d seen it. Then I looked down again at my hands, and this time they were my own.

The Dread Wolf was watching me.


End file.
